Archive By Section - Sports Columns

It's already getting darker earlier in the day and getting cooler at night, meaning to me that fall weather is closer than most people may think it is. Fall fishing is just as good or better than spring fishing. Just about all the species of fish become active while trying to prepare themselves for the winter.

Over the years I've been surprised more than once by a fish willing to bite at the strangest moments. Countless times, I've set my rod down to reach for something to drink or eat and to my surprise I had a fish on the other end of the line.

Every angler has his or her favorite knot. The first knot that was taught to me I still use today. It's a simple knot that I find myself using more out of sentimental value than ease of tying or effectiveness.

Several years ago while fishing with a newcomer to the sport, he hooked a striped bass and brought it into the boat. As he was unhooking the fish it started to thrash around and managed to send his hook right through the inside of his index finger. Once we put the fish back into the water he looked at me and said "take it out." I told him that I would try and proceeded to get a line set for the yank technique.

In the past I strictly fished for bass and nothing else. That's all changed in the last four or five years, putting together this weekly column has made me want to try fishing for what was biting at the time.

I tried golf for the first time in my life in June, expecting it would be as easy as when I played miniature golf. But when I got to Stevinson Ranch to meet Chris Christensen for a three hour personal lesson I quickly realized that I was wrong.

Matt Scott ran his 2013 record at the Stockton 99 Speedway to a perfect seven for seven by taking a hard earned checkered flag in Saturday's Tri Holiday Series 51Fifty Energy Drinks Firecracker 125 Western Late Model feature.

Last night I was sent to the store to pick up some items that we needed at home. Out of the 10 items that I purchased, I ended up finding four of them once I started to put my newly purchased items away. On one hand, it was nice to know that I had extra but on the other hand, I wished I would have known that we already had half of the items that I needed.

Always one of the highlights of the racing season, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to the beautiful Sonoma wine country for the 25th consecutive year with the Toyota/Save Mart 350 this weekend, as the best stock car drivers in the world take on the twisting 10-turn, 1.99-mile Sonoma Raceway road course. The 16th stop on the 36 race 2013 schedule, Sonoma is the first of only two road course races (along with Watkins Glen) and it marks the final west coast appearance of the series until it returns in November to Phoenix International Raceway.

Matt Scott remained perfect for 2013 by taking both ends of the twin Western Late Model features while veteran drivers Jay Lindstroth and Scott Winters split the spoils in the twin Modified mains that highlighted the five division NASCAR Whelen All American Racing Series program at Stockton 99 Speedway on Saturday night.

The weather lately has been really uncharacteristic for the month of May, lots of wind and cooler temperatures for this time of year. According to the weatherman, temperatures are supposed to top out at 100 degrees today. If we do reach 100 degrees it will be the first 100 degree day of the year.